Miami-Dade Black Affairs Advisory Board Wants A Safe, Fun Memorial Day Weekend
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Spring break is wrapping up but Memorial Day is coming quickly and after a violent spring break, the Miami-Dade's Black Affairs Advisory Board wants to make sure Memorial Day Weekend is a safe and fun holiday for everyone.
The board said one of the main problems is the massive crowds partying in the streets. They said there isn't enough for young people to do in Miami Beach.
"What can we do to make sure our young people have something to do other than get in trouble," said Arbie Nickerson, the Jr. Secretary of the Black Affairs Advisory Board.
This question sparked a lengthy discussion on spring break and major holiday weekends.
"Why aren't any other municipalities hosting any other events for spring break to kind of spread that attention off of South Beach?" questions Isaiah Edwards, a Board Member.
If you didn't see the violence surrounding spring break firsthand, you most likely saw it on social media.
After several shootings and many arrests, an emergency order was put into place.
"There was no programming for them, so when they got there, there was nothing for them to do but stand in the street and act a fool," said Jihad Rashid, a Board Member.
The Black Affairs Advisory Board even discussed making a separate committee solely to deal with these issues.
They plan to work with their branch on Miami Beach to make sure Memorial Day Weekend goes smoothly.
"The question is what do we do now?" asks Cleveland Bell, who's also a board member.
Some of the ideas board members bounced around are more activities for young people, spreading out events to other cities and targeted marketing.
"The young people need to be catered to too but they need to have venues on the mainland and on the beach," explains Rashid.
In response to that, the Mayor of Miami Beach released a statement reading in part, "We expect all our visitors to respect our city and our laws and the failure to do so should not be tied to whether the city provides other recreational options."
Mayor Dan Gelber said during spring break, they had seized over 130 weapons, sometimes coupled with caches of drugs.
The mayor continued to say they work regularly with the Black Affairs Advisory Board, and they'll continue to do so.